The Miami Hurricanes wasted no time turning their home opener into a full-scale demolition Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
No. 7 Miami rolled past Florida A&M, 77-7, in a game that tied a program scoring record and produced a new single-game mark for total yards. The Hurricanes matched the 77 points they scored against Savannah State in 2018 and piled up 856 yards, breaking the previous record of 750 set against Ball State in 2024.
The tone was set almost immediately after Miami took possession with 13:32 left in the first quarter. On the third play of the opening drive, Mark Fletcher Jr. ripped off a 46-yard run to open the scoring, and the Hurricanes never let the Rattlers settle in.
Fletcher added another touchdown later in the quarter, and the junior running back finished with 105 yards and two scores. His performance also moved him up the Miami record book, where he now sits sixth in career rushing yards and fifth in rushing touchdowns.
Then came the next quick strike. On his first play after that, Darian Mensah uncorked a 55-yard touchdown pass to sophomore wide receiver Joshua Moore.
Mensah has barely had time to settle into Miami colors, but the early returns have been loud. In two games, the Duke transfer has completed 41 of 46 passes for 653 yards and eight touchdowns. Against Florida A&M, he went 14 of 15 for 252 yards and three touchdowns before giving way in the second half.
“I want to play well,” said Mensah. “Canes fans were super supportive of me when I first got here, so to kind of give that back to them on the field means a lot to me.”
Two of his touchdowns went to Malachi Toney and Cooper Barkate, and the pair combined for 413 yards and six of Mensah’s scores. Mensah, the ACC’s Preseason Player of the Year, has been billed as the quarterback who can steer Mario Cristobal’s offense back to the Natty, and this was another eye-popping step in that direction.
“It’s pretty effortless,” Mensah added. “We’ve got a bunch of studs in the back field.”
Miami led 49-0 at halftime and used the second half to work through its depth chart. Cristobal said the staff wanted to see more players in game action and get a better sense of where they fit.
“We had an opportunity to play a lot of our guys and see how they fit and what their roles will be going forward,” Head Coach Mario Cristobal said.
Redshirt freshman Luke Nickel took advantage of the extended run, throwing for 144 yards and three touchdowns. One went to freshman Samourian Wingo for his first collegiate score, and another to South Carolina transfer Dre Jacobs.
Cristobal singled out Wingo afterward.
“He’s an explosive guy, an elite human being,” said Cristobal about Wingo. “He’s one of those guys we have identified that in critical times of the game, he can be counted on.”
The scoring kept coming from everywhere. Vance Spafford added a 21-yard receiving touchdown, and Javian Mallory broke loose for a 52-yard rushing score. The freshman from West Boca High School finished with a team-high 142 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
“No one can slack in this running back room,” said Mallory postgame. “We want each other to be the best.”
Miami now heads to Wake Forest on Friday, Sep. 16, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C.
In Other News...
Miami Just Landed A Real Shot In A Five-Star Recruiting Fight
Five-star forward CJ Rosser has lined up a full round of official visits, and Miami is firmly in the middle of a crowded recruiting race that will stretch from early September into late October. The Hurricanes are one of seven schools the highly regarded prospect plans to see, along with North Carolina, NC State, Arkansas, Kentucky, USC and Louisville, giving Miami a real chance to make its pitch in person as the process starts to take shape.
Rossers itinerary begins at North Carolina from September 11-13, then moves through the rest of the group over the following weeks, so the Hurricanes will have to make the most of their window whenever their turn comes. With his background in high-level high school and international play, he already has the kind of profile that makes every visit matter, and Miamis shot here feels legitimate because this fight is still in the stage where presentation, fit and feel can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Fans Just Got An Intriguing Early Look At Freshman WR
Saturdays lopsided win over Florida A&M gave Miami fans a brief but enticing glimpse of what Somourian Wingo might eventually bring to the offense. The true freshman wide receiver made the most of his chances, finishing with two catches for 59 yards and a touchdown in the 77-7 rout, a debut that offered just enough to hint at why he arrived on campus with so much buzz.
Mario Cristobal came away impressed and said the staff plans to expand Wingos role, which is the part that will matter most as Miami keeps sorting out its receiver rotation. Wingo was a highly ranked recruit who drew interest from several major programs before choosing the Hurricanes, and early signs like this only sharpen the curiosity about how quickly he can become a real factor. [Read more 🡒]
Miami's Big Offseason Gamble Already Looks Very Different
Darian Mensahs move to Miami was always going to be one of the more watched offseason swings in the sport, and the first two weeks have only sharpened the attention around it. After transferring to the Hurricanes for the 2026 season amid a legal dispute with Duke over NIL agreements, Mensah has stepped in and looked every bit like the quarterback Miami hoped it was getting, completing 41 of 45 passes for 653 yards and eight touchdowns.
The backdrop to all of it is what made the deal so unusual in the first place. Mensahs transfer came with reported high NIL valuations and a settlement that cleared the way for him to play at Miami, turning a roster move into a national talking point long before he took a snap. For the Hurricanes, the on-field returns have arrived quickly, but the bigger story remains the business side that made this gamble possible. [Read more 🡒]